Exceptional Journey of Samir Soliman, Syrian Rebel and Footballer of AS Saint-Etienne
What Happened to Samir Soliman?
A twenty-year mystery surrounds the whereabouts of Samir Soliman, a name familiar to many ex-ENA graduates like Alexandre Bompard, Frédéric Oudéa, and even France's current President, Emmanuel Macron, who shared classrooms, pitches, and coaching sessions with him.
Curiosity about Samir's vanishing act also echoes among former AS Saint-Étienne footballers and Middle Eastern refugees. Since the early 2000s, Samir Soliman, a 65-year-old former goalkeeper, has beenmissing from public view, sparking concern and whispers.
Did he travel back to his turmoil-stricken homeland, Syria, caught in the grip of a civil war since 2011? His extraordinary journey from a boy in Roukn Eddine, Damascus, to the Greens goalkeeper, a member of the Platini generation, and finally an esteemed ENA alumnus, seemed to reach a tragic end?
But here's the truth. Samir never really left Paris. At L'Armandie, a 15th arrondissement brasserie, he remains, nursing his coffee, as if making up for the years of silence. With his still-athletic physique and a touch of outdated elegance, it seems he's ready to share his story at long last.
Over coffee, he confesses that it's been since 2001 since he last set foot in Syria. That final journey to Damascus, at the beginning of Bashar Al-Assad's reign of terror, left a lasting wound on him.
As for the unanswered questions, a thorough search of sports news archives or official club announcements from AS Saint-Étienne may unveil more details about Samir Soliman's whereabouts and experiences. Verifying the accuracy of the name and background might also be helpful if there's any confusion.
Samir Soliman, despite the mystery surrounding his disappearance, was never far from the world of sports, as one might find traces of his career in European leagues, such as Laliga, having been a member of the Platini generation and a goalkeeper for AS Saint-Étienne. Although his whereabouts after 2001 remained unknown for many, his legacy continued in the annals of sports history, waiting to be discovered by those curious about his life story.
